Improvement in devices for tapping beer and other casks



A J. FELB'EL. Y y DEVICE FOR TAPPING BEER AND OTHER GASKS.-M

No.1'9z,908. Patented July 1o, i877.'

N-FEFERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D. (l4

PATENT EEIGE,

JACOB FELBEL,"OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DEVICES FOR TAPPING BEER ANDOTHER CASKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,908, dated July 10,1877; application filed May 23, 1877.

To all lwhom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB` FELBEL, of New York city, in the county ofNew Yorkand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Device for Tapping and Drawing Liquids from Barrels, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making `part of this specification.

Previous to my invention the diculties in the use of the common beer-faucet adapted to be driven into the head of the keg, and the objectionable inconveniences mof the usual practice of simply forcing in the bung by the driv ing in of the open end of the faucet, have led to the devisement of numerous devices designed to effect the closing of the bunghole by an automatic valve contrivance adapted to have its valve opened by the introduction into the outer end of said contrivance'of the faucet end; but in all the means so far devised, toV

myknowledge, there has been either such complexity of construction as` to practically destroy the usefulness of the contrivance, or it has been rendered inadaptable to the designed purposes by reason of the necessary presence of some sort of rubber packing, the contact of the beer with which is not desirable.

My invention has for its object to provide a very simple and efficient contrivance for the purposes mentioned, and one which, while it shall possess the capacity to eifect the tapping of the beer without leakage and waste, shall not embrace any rubber or other packing in its structure.

To these ends and objects my invention consists in thecombination, with an automatically-closing bunghole stopper, having its outer tubular portion made tapering and provided with an internal screwLthread, of a tap or faucet-having the portion intended for insertion into the tubular stopper device made correspondingly tapering and provided with a screw-thread, so that when the faucet is in serted in the stopper device it may be screwed i home to a perfect bearing ofthe tapering parts,

all as will be hereinafter more fully explained. To enable those `skilled in the art to make and use my improved contrivance, I will proceed to more fullydescribe its construction and operation, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, in which` Fi guresvl and 2 are two sectional elevations of the contrivanceapplied tothe head of an ordinary lager-beer keg, and showing' the parts,

of a beer-keg B, the metallic bung-hole stopper; and C, the faucet or tap. The stopper B is composed, as seen, of a tapering portion, d,

. inserted in the head Aof the keg, and therein secured by a liangefe, and suitable screws, or in some other desirable manner, and a valvechamber,f, and seat g.

Within the chamber f, which is open at the inner ends or sides, or both, to permit a free ingress of the heer, is arranged, to operate in a well-known manner.` a valve, h, provided with a suitable guiding-stem, i, and closingf spring j, which valve closes against the seat g, formed on the interior of the tubular stopper device. At the inner extremity of the tapering portion d the tube is continued toward the valve-seat in a perfectly-straight forni, and is providedI here with an internal f thread, o, as clearly seen. ff

` The tapering portion p of the faucet O ends, as shown, in a straight part, S, on whichv is cut an external thread, adapted to engage with the thread o of the stopper device.

The operation of the devices adapted to work together will be understood to be as follows: When it is desired to tap the keg, provided, as shown, with the automatic valvestopper device, the faucet G is inserted until its screw-thread S just engages with or enters the female screw o. Then, by further screw ing in the faucet, the valve h will be forced inward into its chamber and off of its .seat g, so as to open a free passage between the interior of the keg and the interior of the tap or faucet.

vAs the screwing in of the faucet is continued as-far as possible, the tapering portion p is brought and held to a perfect taper bearing on the internal tapering portion d of the tubular stopper device, and thus a perfectly-tight union between the parts is effected.

a f leases `Of,course,.th e parts should `be somade and fitted hplthat the mouth or bib of the faucet will stand in the right position when the lat-y ter is turned clear in or screwed home to a perfect bearing of the tapering surfaces of the parts of the contrivance, and any slight inaccuracy in the position of the mouth ofthe faucet, either from imperfection in the t of the parts or from slight wear after continued use, may be compensated for by slightly moving round the keg itself. l

In lieu of having the straight and threaded portions lof the faucet and stopper device located as shown, the screw-threads may be located at the extreme outer portion or end of the tube B or otherwise, the arrangement not being material so long as the two devices are provided with straight threaded portions which will operate to draw home together and to a perfectly-tight bearing the tapering surfaces that match. By this combination of devices, it will be seen, a union of the parts is effected bythe engagement of the threads of the faucet and stopper vdevice before the valve begins to leave its seat, and then the union is perfected by bringing the tapering surfaces close together as the -valve is further opened; and thus not only is any squirting out of the beer during the 'initial insertion of thefaucet prevented, but a perfectly and enduringly tight union made without the .presence of `any sort of packing material or substances.

The whole contrivance, it will be seen, is exceedingly simple and economic of manufacture and application to the kegs, and is not liable to any derangevment during use and the rough'han'dling to which the kegs are subjected during transportation, refilling, &;c.

In the use of beer-kegs having my invention applied, the revenue-stamp may, as usua be pasted over the mouth of the hole into which the faucet or some device must be inserted,

JACOB FELBEL. [L s] In presence of- WILLIAM P. MULY, J. N. MCINTIRE. 

